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The combination of decent compact camera hardware and the latest version of Android is not only powerful; it's also seriously enjoyable, and it may result in the casual photographer spending far more time perfecting and sharing their pictures than they ever did before.

Outside of its relatively high cost of ownership and average point-and-shoot picture quality, the Samsung Galaxy Camera definitely delivers the shoot-and-share experience of a smartphone with the features of a compact camera.

The Samsung Galaxy Camera is the best Android-based camera that’s currently available, but consumers should weigh the cost commitment that comes with being always connected.

The Samsung Galaxy Camera combines the functions of a Android device and a dedicated camera quite well, letting you whisk your photos and videos to the Web instantly. But this first-gen design also shows room for improvement.

Should You Buy It? Maybe, actually. For all its foibles, the Galaxy camera is a lot of fun to use. Maybe this thing's nothing more than a toy, but it's a really entertaining toy. People want to instantly share an image—they just don't want to sacrifice quality to do it.

Taken into context as an all-in-one photography, editing, and social sharing studio, however, and it’s a different matter, occupying a niche sweet spot between the flexibility (but underwhelming photos) of a smartphone, and the quality (but cumbersome sharing options) of a camera.

Spot-on for anyone who wants an easy way to share their pictures without being restricted to smart phone resolutions and quality levels, and very fairly priced considering the specs and features. The best Android camera yet, and one that competitors will have to work hard to beat.

There's too much going on for successful cohesion. It's like Samsung's taken all its best possible devices and thrown them in a pot with the belief that it would make for the greatest camera ever. It could have, but it hasn't.

... the Galaxy Camera is a more pleasurable experience to use than Nikon’s fractionally cheaper S800c and arguably more versatile; but whether you might be better off keeping your existing snapshot and spending what’s being asked here on an actual tablet instead is entirely a choice for you.

While poor battery life is a fairly common problem for devices of this type and can be controlled to a certain extent by either switching off certain features or carrying a spare battery, some of the image quality flaws are less forgivable – especially the inconsistent white balance.

Overall, we had a great time using the Galaxy Camera and see a lot of fun scenarios where we would enjoy having a connected camera that also has the ability to take great photos.

Galaxy Camera is a better shooter than the smartphone in your pocket, and having wireless is a major convenience. But not everyone will want to spend the extra loot for apps and features that are perfectly well-suited, and duplicated, on your phone.